Iím just past 50, nearly 25 years in the business, most of it at public and private institutions of higher learning, including universities, colleges, and institutes. The bulk of my career was in Japan, with short stints in neighboring countries. Iíve spent the last five on the Arabian Peninsula. I have a BA, CELTA , and MEd TESOL.

I have a little money in the bank and wouldnít mind adding a bit more. Money, though, is not the primary motivation. If it were, Iíd stay where I am, one of the better paying gigs outside the Saudi military complex.

Iíd like most to have an interesting cultural experience. I havenít yet worked in Europe and would fancy a couple of years in the eastern half, but know nothing about employment opportunities there.

Iíd also like a chance to explore Turkey a bit, but again know little about Turkish realities for English teachers.

Further afield, Iím keen to explore Argentina, Chile or Peru, but have never met teachers working in those countries.

So, Iím here to find out what my fellow expatriate teachers think might make a good next port of call. Iím open to suggestions outside of those listed, so feel free to tell me about the wonderful opportunity Iíve been missing in your part of the world.

Although you may get generic info here about some of the places you've mentioned, your best bet is to post on those country or region-specific forums. However, someone on this general forum may suggest a locale you've never considered. By the way, are there any countries you have absolutely no interest in?

I havenít yet worked in Europe and would fancy a couple of years in the eastern half, but know nothing about employment opportunities there

I'm going to assume the OP is from the UK from the use of 'fancy' here, though it's possible that he/she is a North American or Aussie who's adopted the term. In any case, Central/Eastern Europe IS a legal option for non-EU member citizens.

As nomadsoul points out, there is lots of country-specific info on the boards below; this would be the best place to start.

The general info for Central Europe (Russia and other points eastwards being rather different): your qualifications are unlikely to pay off here. The vast majority of work is with private language schools, teaching mostly businesspeople. While there are occasional university positions outthere, they are usually filled by qualified locals. The other problem with state-school positions (including universities) is that they are usually less well-paid than private school gigs. Holdover from the old system: teachers and medical professionals are paid at relatively very low rates compared to rates in other parts of the world.
You would also find the students to be very different from those in either Asia or the ME, and your experience in terms of actual classroom functions may not translate well.

If you are a citizen of an EU member country, then Western Europe is also an option. Again, university positions are few and far between, and normally go to qualified candidates with local connections. It's a highly competitive job market.

Basically, for Europe, you'd most likely be facing finding a city you like, coming over, taking what you can find for the first year or two whilst building up a local reputation, contacts, and language skills, and then working your way into the few better positions around. It's worth it if you simply really enjoy the region, but less so if you're not committed for at least a few years.

Thank you, Spiral, for taking the time to share your views. As you describe it, I'm afraid E Europe doesn't sound ideal. My preference is for lining up a job before landing, with an institution that will look after visa and housing. Or with one that offers something so unique that I don't mind having to find my own housing or stand in line for my visa. A few hours of tuition doesn't sound terribly unique.

Maybe I'll pop over to the Europe boards to post more specific questions there about language schools and the type of contracts they offer.

Oh, I'm from the American side of the pond, but it seems I've been modifying my speech for so long that many people often have trouble identifying me. I've been variously pegged as American, Canadian, and British (but not yet Welsh, Scots, Irish, Aussie, or Kiwi).

NS, thanks for the tip on the Fellows program. Just glancing through some of the possbilities I find some fascinating programs, like teaching basic English to tourist police in the Old Town of Prague. This program is now high on my list of possibilities when it comes time to make the move. Thanks so much.